Surgery for Stage 4 Lung Cancer: 125 Real Stories

125 stories match lung cancer, stage 4 and surgery. 83 of them mention chemotherapy.

Cancer Stories

A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage 4 lung cancer: complete resection after splenectomy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: TTF-1-positive; Synaptophysin-positive; CD56-positive

Metastatic Site: spleen

No evidence of recurrence 1 year after open splenectomy/partial diaphragm resection and later R0 resection of the primary lung tumor for Stage IVB lung cancer with splenic metastasis; systemic therapy was refused.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Primary Lung Cancer That Spread to Both Breasts and the Adrenal Gland

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1 negative; EGFR, ALK, ROS1, RET, MET exon 14, NTRK and BRAF wild type

Metastatic Site: both breasts, subcutaneous tissue, adrenal gland

After the lung origin was established, she was in good general condition and asymptomatic while first-line systemic therapy was being planned.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCare Ongoing
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Squamous Cell CarcinomaLung Cancer

Lung squamous cell carcinoma spreading to bone and intestine

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1 positive in almost all tumor cells

Metastatic Site: bone (left femur), intestine, abdomen

Despite chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation, the lung cancer progressed with intestinal and extensive abdominal metastases, cachexia and gastrointestinal bleeding. Palliative care was planned, but he chose discharge and received no further treatment.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
Lenny, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Lenny's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Lenny, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1 expression positive

Metastatic Site: right femur; brain/cerebellum

As of July 2024, Lenny described himself as NED/no evidence of disease after surgery, CyberKnife radiation, chemotherapy, and Keytruda-based immunotherapy.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

RET-fusion lung adenocarcinoma responding to pralsetinib and bevacizumab

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: KIF13A-RET fusion

Metastatic Site: pleura

He had 27 months of disease-free survival on pralsetinib before pleural and nodal recurrence. After bevacizumab was added, imaging showed reduction of the pleural lesion and mediastinal nodes and circulating tumor DNA became undetectable in December 2023.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

EGFR-mutated lung cancer treated with osimertinib during tuberculosis therapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion; acquired EGFR T790M mutation

Metastatic Site: pleura, left axillary lymph node

Osimertinib maintained a partial response throughout 9 months of tuberculosis treatment, with no new abdominal or brain lesions. By the end of tuberculosis treatment, she was more than 7 years from her original lung-cancer diagnosis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

EGFR-mutated lung cancer with later small-cell transformation

Patient Info: Anonymized, male, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR L858R mutation; acquired EGFR T790M mutation

Metastatic Site: pleura/chest wall, ribs, brain, meninges,…

Disease progressed through multiple lines of therapy with brain and meningeal involvement. He died in September 2021, more than 9 years after his original 2012 diagnosis.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage IVA lung adenocarcinoma with solitary brain metastasis: pCR after brain surgery, chemoradiation, immunotherapy, and lobectomy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1 75%; negative for driver gene mutations and translocations

Metastatic Site: brain

As of May 2024, he had no recurrence after brain metastasis resection and radiation, carboplatin/pemetrexed/atezolizumab, robot-assisted right upper lobectomy with pathologic complete response, and 13 cycles of maintenance atezolizumab.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Metastatic lung adenocarcinoma presenting as a pituitary mass

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Lung adenocarcinoma with ERBB2 plus other mutations, PD-L1 TPS 1%

Metastatic Site: pituitary gland

As of May 2024, metastatic lung adenocarcinoma to the pituitary/sellar region had been diagnosed pathologically; systemic treatment, recurrence status, and longer follow-up were not described.

PubMed Central
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage 4 lung adenocarcinoma: brain surgery followed by immunotherapy response

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1-positive; EGFR wild-type/no mutation; ALK rearrangement not detected; TTF-1-positive; Napsin A-positive

Metastatic Site: brain

As of March 2024, after 31 cycles of zimberelimab, the lung lesion had shown partial response, brain metastasis had not recurred, and the patient had 24-month progression-free and intracranial recurrence-free survival with normal quality of life.

PubMed Central
OutcomeResponding Well
Keegan, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Stage IV ALK Lung Adenocarcinoma: Keegan's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Keegan Murphy, Male, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ALK fusion mutation

Metastatic Site: Lungs; lymph nodes; ribs/bone; abdomen

As of March 2024, Keegan had gone from Stage IV ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma with tumors in the lungs, lymph nodes, ribs, and abdomen to no evidence of disease after alectinib and surgery.

MD Anderson
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Tim, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Tim's Patient Story

Patient Info: Tim Monds, Male, 50s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: High PD-L1 expression

Metastatic Site: Other lung lobes / lung nodules

As of March 2024, Tim Monds was identified as a Stage IV lung cancer survivor involved in discussion of the PaCES early palliative-care project and broader lung cancer advocacy.

Lung Cancer Voices
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Lung cancer brain metastasis grew into a pre-existing meningioma

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 70+ | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: brain

Six months after lung surgery, a pathologically confirmed brain metastasis developed beside and partly infiltrated a pre-existing meningioma. It was surgically removed, and the patient declined radiochemotherapy afterward.

PubMed Central
OutcomeSetback / Progression
Ivy, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV EGFR Lung Cancer: Ivy's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Ivy E., Female, 40s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR mutation

Metastatic Site: Bone: elbow, cervical spine/neck, rib, pelvis; brain

As of January 2024, Ivy reported no evidence of disease 1 year after right upper lobectomy, after years of response to EGFR-targeted therapy for initially Stage IV lung cancer.

The Patient Story
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED
Deborah, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung CancerLung Cancer

Stage IV Lung Cancer: Deborah's Patient Story

Patient Info: Deborah Persinger, Female, 70+ | Stage IV

Metastatic Site: Brain

As of January 2024, Deborah was living actively 13 years after lung cancer diagnosis, with recurrent brain metastases managed through repeated Gamma Knife radiosurgery and ongoing MRI surveillance.

Cleveland Clinic
OutcomeLiving With Cancer
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung CancerLung Cancer

Brain radiation therapy complication (radionecrosis) potentially linked to combined chemo-immunotherapy

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1 0%; tumour mutational burden 33 mutations/Mb; TP53 mutation at diagnosis; later ctDNA included KEAP1 and NOTCH3 alterations

Metastatic Site: brain; presumed leptomeningeal disease

She recovered completely from surgery for radiation necrosis, resumed cancer treatment and remained neurologically intact at 18 months. She was found deceased 9 months later; the cause of death was unknown.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Memory
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

BRCA2-Mutated Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma Controlled for 30 Months With Olaparib

Patient Info: Anonymized, female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: PD-L1-negative; BRCA2 mutation; ATM mutation; EGFR-negative; ALK-negative

Metastatic Site: brain

Olaparib provided about 30 months of disease control, and PET imaging remained overall stable when a separate new breast primary was found in February 2023.

PubMed Central
OutcomeStable Disease
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

MET-mutated lung cancer: testing savolitinib before surgery

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: MET exon 14 skipping, TP53 and BRAF mutations; PD-L1 expression 5%

Metastatic Site: pleura; mediastinal lymph node

Savolitinib produced a partial radiological response, but surgery confirmed persistent pleural and mediastinal nodal metastases with ypStage IVA disease. He recovered and continued adjuvant savolitinib.

PubMed Central
OutcomeIn Treatment
A patient, who was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung AdenocarcinomaLung Cancer

Lung cancer recurrence in the thyroid, initially mistaken for thyroid cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: EGFR exon 19 deletion; TTF-1-positive; Napsin A-positive; PAX8-negative; thyroglobulin staining limited to tumour cells adjacent to normal thyroid tissue

Metastatic Site: thyroid; cervical lymph nodes

After starting osimertinib for EGFR exon 19-deleted recurrent lung adenocarcinoma, he was disease free 5 months after thyroid surgery.

PubMed Central
OutcomeCancer-Free / NED